Mid-C16th Middle Class Englishwomen's Dress

Okay! So I'm not sure if this will be interesting for people or not, but I thought I'd get out a full set of garb (footwear not withstanding) and post a few pics of middle class Englishwomen's dress from c.1540.

Smock (and coif - it's not polite to have your hair uncovered in public ;). N.B. I'm wearing a bra because the linen is too fine to not wear it for decency reasons - it's not under the smock in any of the other images.

Kirtle - unlaced

 Kirtle - partly laced (showing downward spiral lacing)

Kirtle -laced closed

 Sleeves - pinned to kirtle shoulder

Gown (the neckline of the kirtle would usually match the gown in the 1540s, even for the middle class. I just thought it would be easier to keep the new kirtle on and go with it, but usually I'd wear a square-necked kirtle as well)

Hook and eye closure of the gown

Curve formed from the bust to the waist that is typical of the period

ACCESSORIES! As you can see, they make the outfit. Knitted rabbit-fur bonnet, partlet, girdle, purse and rosary.

Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed dressing up for half an hour :)

Brown Wool Kirtle: Complete!!!

Hey peeps!

So, I finally got my butt into gear and finished my brown woolen kirtle - hooray! This is the first official addition to my 1525 Middle-class Wardobe and it works REALLY REALLY WELL! I've rarely been so happy with the fit and level of commitment I've put into a creation. Hopefully, adding more pieces to my collection and documenting them on here will inspire you peoples to enter my garbing competition and allow me to make things for YOU!

So, to cut to the chase and give the people what they want: completey photos!

Here's the kirtle worn over a (mid-16th century) chemise that won't be making an appearance in my Wardrobe:

Detail: eyelets inside and outside the bodice, including the lacing cord stitched to the top of the bodice, near the neckline (the kirtle is spiral laced down from neckline to vent):

Detail: flat-felled seam leading to bound hem:

Detail: inside showing the lining and hem bound with top fabric (slip stitched down):

Things I would change about this kirtle:

1. The vent slit in the skirt doesn't sit exactly flat. I think I need to tweak it and might do that when I have a half an hour or so to fill.
2. I would change the neckline. I now feel obliged to make a v-necked gown, which I've decided I don't like as much as a square or round neck. Hm. It didn't occur to me, I guess. There are plenty of period effigies and such that show differing necklines of a kirtle beneath a gown in the early 16th century, so all is not lost. It's only with the court gowns that this seems to be uncommon, and that's probably because the nobility could afford to have things made and remade much more often than the middle class. I'll just make sure I don't make my Holyday kirtle and gown with different necklines.
3. There is no aiglet on the end of my lace! I need to fix this, but I'm not sure where to get them from. All of the ones I've found so far seem to be chunky, so much chunkier than the lace itsely, which is 3-4mm in diameter. I want one that actually looks the business, so I have to wait until I can find them.

Next up: Smocks, I think! Since I don't have any that are suitable for this early in the 16th century. Time to go linen shopping at fabrics-store.com. I think I'l buy enough linen for a few smocks and make a bunch all at once, yay! Boring for you kids, probably, but it'll mean I can work from the foundation garments up.


<3 E.

P.S. check back in a couple of hours for a series of photos showing all the essential components of middle class Englishwomen's garb from the mid-C16th! It's not related to my Wardrobe project but it might be educational. Or something. Probably not, though... <_<

Overdue updates!

Hello my lovelies!

I'm so overdue for an update but uni has been crayzay! But I've been making a few plans in the time I've skived off from study and I'm taking a quick procrastination break to share them with you  <_<

1. Finalised 1525 Wardrobe list

I'm going to make a separate post after this for the list so that I can keep it separate and refer to it easily. You can find the list here. I AM SO SO SO EXCITED TO FINALLY HAVE A FIRM PLAN FOR MY PROJECT!

2. Patterning for other people!

I had dinner with my lovely friend William on Easter Monday and patterned for him a Henrician/Elizabethan transition doublet based on a famous portrait of Edward VI (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Edward_VI_of_England_c._1546.jpg). I forgot to take my camera (guh >_<) but hopefully he'll be kind enough to let me pin him back into it and take a photo to show you soon :)

If anyone else has a project planned - please keep me in mind if you need to be patterned. I want to expand my knowledge to different periods and patterning methods and help as many people as possible. Everything looks soooo much better when made from a proper pattern! 

3. Roward festival 2013 plans
I've only travelled to Rowany Festival once (in 2011) since I started with the SCA a few years ago. It was an overwhelming experience but I'm looking forward to going again with a better idea of how amazing it is and how to get the best out of the weekend! Festival is held over the Easter long weekend near Sydney, so for those of us on the far side of the country the planning is usually a bit more complicated and the costs greater than for most. Festival 2012 has just been and everyone has said it was fantastic so I'm going to start planning and saving for next year.

For me, planning means garb, mostly! The last time I went I took way too much - it was actually at this event that I decided to create a concise wardrobe for my persona rather than making infinite items that don't work as well together. Last time I wore a couple of kirtles and gowns, chemises, some socks, wellies/gumboots (the site is usually too wet for period shoes), and a few other accessories like headwear and girdles. This packs into about half a suitcase and is much better than taking EVERYTHING I OWN... which is what I actually did. And didn't wear a lot of it, just dragged it across the continent like a dork.

So, the items of garb I want to take to next year's Festival will be the first ones I make from my Wardrobe List! I'll decide what they'll be over the next little while and let you know.

4. My brown woolen kirtle is complete!
I actually finished the thing - I just haven't taken photos yet. That's one of the reasons I've put off posting for soooo long. But I'll take them tonight and upload them for your viewing pleasure so that I can get them out of the way and get a move on with all of  my other things!

Wheeeeeee *motivation*

1525 Wardrobe Project - Complete Inventory

Hooray!!!!

Here is the finalised list of  garments that will constitute the wardrobe of the wife of a wealthy clothier and fabric merchant in 1525. This year predates the sumptuary laws of the later Tudor period (the first of which was from 24 Henry VIII in 1533), but I have given as much reasonable consideration to the selection of fabrics as possible. I think that I should be able to fit all of these items into a single chest - a reasonable expectation for any man or woman of this period.

KIRTLES (3)

1. Brown cloth (front lacing, V-neckline, sleeveless, undyed linen lining, bound with gold silk taffeta)
2. Black cloth (back lacing, cap sleeves, black linen lining)
3. Gold camlet (side lacing, square neckline, cap sleeves, bleached linen buckram lining)

GOWNS (4)

1. Violet cloth (front vent with hook and eye closure, square neckline in front and V-neckline in back, pleated skirt back, narrow sleeves with turnbacks, bound in black wool
2. Red cotton (open back lacing, square neckline, straight sleeves with turnbacks, black linen lining, wool lining for sleeves)
3. Green camlet (front vent with hook and eye closure, square neckline in front and V-neckline in back, pleated skirt back, narrow sleeves with turnbacks of black taffeta, bound in black taffeta, lined with black linen buckram)
4. Black camlet (open front with tie closure, square neckline, straight sleeves, fur lining throughout)

CHEMISES (6)

• Square-necked x 2
• Round-necked gathered into neckband x 1
• Round-necked gathered into ruffle with ruffled cuffs x 2
• Square-necked of very fine linen x 1

HOSE (6)

• Linen (linen lining) x 3
• Wool (linen lining) x 1
• Wool (wool lining) x 2
• Camlet (camlet lining) x 1

GIRDLES (4)

• Sarcenet x 4

PARTLETS (3)

1. Black cloth
2. Black camlet
3. White organza

HEADWEAR

• Paste x 2
• Bonnet x 3
• Frontelet x 3
• Gable hood x 1

LINENS

• Linen neckerchiefs/headrails x 3
• Sarcenet neckerchief/headrail
• Workaday apron x 2
• Fine apron x 1

ACCESSORIES

• Workaday shoes
• Winter boots (lined with rabbit)
• Fine shoes
• Purses x 2
• Garters x 3 pair
• Pearl & onyx rosary
• Quartz & silver rosary
• 2 necklaces
• 3 rings